Hi everyone.
I’m an Australian currently living in Brisbane Australia with my British wife and 11 year old daughter (dual Australian British citizenship) and Labrador.
I have received a very exciting offer in HCMC which includes private health, return flights home once a year (hopefully without Covid restrictions), relocation costs (freight and 4 weeks accommodation). Hoping to negotiate education costs for my daughter as part of the package. Thinking British International School (Year 7). Office is in the Tan Binh District.
Wondering where the best areas would be to be close to school, work, dog walking, quiet green areas, fun activities whilst being close to expats.
Spent 2 weeks in HCMC back in 2007 and am assuming a lot has changed since then. Have fond memories of the city and its people.
Thanking you all in advance.
Tan Binh is a big district, where roughly is your office?
My advice would be to find somewhere near the British Int School if that,s your preference & there are lots of villa,s & apartments right beside it if you have the cash to rent there & it fits your requirement to be 1......close to school, 2......close to ex pats. 3........fun activities, I am sure that anywhere there are lots of expats there will be fun activities going on but its a pretty wide remit.
Not sure you will find any quiet Green areas anywhere in HCMC for walking the dog but I am sure in some of the gated communities along the river front there will be.
A word of warning regarding where your work actually is located & where you actually live..........when the kids are being dropped off & picked up after school its gridlock & you could be in a traffic jam for up to 30 minutes.
So say for example you decide to live outside D2 & drop your daughter off & pick her up be prepared for the battle just to get to the school to pick her up & then get away from the pick up point 2 x a day.
Dont even think about coming to Celadon City Emerald Tan Phu as was suggested in another post. Why? 1..........It would take you an hour by car to get from here to & from the School!
     2..... In the gated community here with a population of in excess of 5,000 residents there are at most 10 expats that I know of & everyone keeps themselves to themselves.
On the positive side there are beautiful gardens with kids play pools, lots of kids play areas, BBQ pits & 2 parks within the community for dog walking & a huge sports centre with Olympic size swimming pool, football pitches, tennis courts, badminton courts, yoga etc. & a great Management team with great back up Residents Support Groups